『To Her Grace, the Duchess of Ivrante,

His Imperial Majesty was very pleased with your proposal for the Grand Plaza construction project.

As a result, the Grand Plaza project will proceed according to Your Grace’s proposal, and we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a consultant.

Congratulations.』

Congratulations?

‘Is this a joke?’

Crinkle!

I crumpled the letter from the Imperial Palace into a wrinkled mess.

Fine, let’s just say the Emperor liked my proposal.

I still don’t understand why Leonhart showed a stalker’s proposal to the Emperor, but let’s just chalk that up to his excessively upright personality.

‘But why drag me into this? When did I ever say I wanted to be a consultant?!’

What on earth do they even need me for?

I gave them the whole proposal. They just need to follow it; why the hell did they appoint me as a consultant!

‘Wasn’t this the trash author’s plan all along? To make me write the proposal so I’d end up getting dragged into the project?!’

“Ah, my head.”

My temples throbbed.

The more often I crossed paths with Leonhart, the more convinced I became that one of two things are bound to happen:

Either he’ll kill me…

…or he’ll uncover my true identity.

I have to survive until the ending without my identity being discovered.

Leonhart was currently the person ranked number one in terms of danger.

Isn’t that reason enough to avoid him?

I should be avoiding him like the plague, so what’s this about being a consultant?

I tossed the hopelessly crumpled letter onto the silver tray the butler was holding.

“I need to send a letter to His Majesty.”

“What shall I write?”

“Thank you, but I must decline for health reasons-”

[Level 3: (With a derisive scoff) It seems he has an eye for talent. Tell him I accept the consultant position.]

‘That trash author bastard… he really did plan this?!’

Grit.

At this rate, I was going to grind my molars into dust. I forced my clenched jaw open.

“Hmph, it seems he has an eye for talent. Tell him I accept the consultant position.”

“…Were you not intending to decline?”

“Did you not hear me?”

“N-No, Your Grace. I’ll send it exactly as instructed.”

The butler glanced at me warily before leaving silently.

Left alone in the study, I buried my face in my hands. I was so furious my forehead felt hot.

“Now I get it.”

The trash author wanted Leonhart and me to remain on bad terms….while simultaneously engineering situations that forced us to meet again and again.

There could only be one reason for such a contradiction.

‘He wants my identity to be exposed.’

Because if my identity is revealed, I won’t be able to return to my original world even after the novel ends.

‘I just can’t understand it…’

Once Part 2 ends, I’ll be nothing more than an anomaly in this novel. So why is he so determined to keep me here? Why?!

Huh.

Wait.

‘Don’t tell me… he’s planning to write a Part 3!’

No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only explanation.

I let out a hollow laugh.

Has this trash author completely lost it because his novel flopped so badly?

‘You promised you wouldn’t write one! You said the finale was the absolute final ending!’

I hadn’t realized it at the time, but looking back, there had been plenty of loopholes in that promise.

‘That’s right… He promised he wouldn’t write a Part 3. He never promised he’d stop writing altogether. He’s planning to reincarnate me into one of his other novels.’

Goosebumps prickled across my arms. The trash author’s obsession was downright creepy.

‘No matter what happens, I will definitely hide my identity. Let’s see who wins.’

Still, it was a relief that I only had to be careful around Leonhart.

If Owen or Ruspell were involved, I would have truly lost my mind.

Just then, the butler carefully opened the study door.

“Master.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve received an invitation from His Highness the Third Prince’s faction.”

“An invitation?”

Leonhart isn’t the type to enjoy parties.

“Bring it here.”

◈ 

Invitation

◈ Subject: Grand Plaza Construction Proposal Briefing (Presenter: Adrianne Ivrante)

◈ Location: The Third Prince’s Palace

◈ Time: Tomorrow, 10:00 p.m.

Your attendance is requested.

◈ 

I couldn’t help laughing as I read the invitation.

I haven’t even sent the acceptance letter to the Emperor yet, and they’re telling me to attend a briefing.

Doesn’t that mean they expected me to accept the consultant position?

• • Rianne! Is that an invitation to a party? Are we going to a party?

“It’s an invitation to attend a proposal briefing tomorrow. But the presenter is me.”

• • Oh dear, it seems they set the schedule without consulting Rianne-nim even once.

“What’s even funnier is that the briefing is tomorrow night at 10 PM.”

• • How did they know you’re fucking free?

“Even if I were busy, they would’ve picked that time anyway.”

• • Huh? Why?

“To give me the finger.”

• • Is Leonhart-nim trying to get himself another taste of Rianne-nims Wind Cutter… Rianne-nim, please don’t go.

“I could skip it. I’d just have to live with the rumors that I ignored an imperial appointment before I’d even officially started.”

• • Fuck it, let the rumors spread! Who cares about rumors? Fists are way scarier. Right, Gnome?

• • …….

I naturally had no intention of going.

‘I won’t die just because of some rumors…’

[Level 3: Adrianne called Luna.]

I have a bad feeling about this.

I rang the service bell to call Luna.

“Did you call, Master?”

[Level 3: I plan to visit the Third Prince’s palace tomorrow night. Prepare the most extravagant dress.]

I knew it. It wasn’t even surprising.

“I plan to visit the Third Prince’s palace tomorrow night. Prepare the most extravagant dress.”

“I understand, Master.”

Luna spoke firmly, as if telling me to leave it to her. I’m already terrified of how dazzling a dress she’ll bring.

“…?”

Even after our conversation was over, Luna didn’t leave.

She lingered in the study, pretending to tidy things up.

Seeing her back drenched in sweat, something from a few days ago suddenly came to mind.

‘Right… it’s just like that day.’

That day, Luna had been unusually distracted.

She was anxious the whole time and so lost in thought that she couldn’t even hear my instructions.

“Luna.”

“Yes, Master!”

She had been repeatedly taking a perfectly fine book off the shelf only to put it back again. At my voice, she hurried over.

“Is there something you need me to do?”

“Go ahead and say what’s on your mind.”

“…Pardon?”

“You have something you want to tell me, don’t you? That’s why you haven’t left.”

The bridge of Luna’s freckled nose turned bright red.

She cautiously opened her mouth.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“…A few days ago, you told me to tell you if there was something I wanted, do you remember?”

“Hmm?”

“As a reward for bringing you back after you fainted at the Imperial Palace.”

“Ah, I remember.”

“…May I ask for it now?”

“Sure. What do you want?”

“….”

“Do you need more time?”

As if she had made up her mind, Luna clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.

“C-could you please forgive Cecile just once? I beg you!”

“….”

I just blinked. My reaction was slow because it was completely unexpected.

‘Forgive Cecile?’

Who is that?

I waited for Luna to explain, but she said nothing.

She looked completely certain that, of course, I knew who Cecile was

[Level 2: (Indifferently) I fail to see why I should.]

I have no idea what’s going on, but I might as well follow the command.

“I fail to see why I should.”

“Your Grace, Cecile has truly reflected on her actions. She wants to apologize to you, but she hasn’t been able to see you. She has cried every night. And she’s worked incredibly hard cleaning the laboratory as well.”

Laboratory?

“Ah…”

The maid I assigned to clean the laboratory was named Cecile.

The command back then was to make her clean the laboratory for fifteen days, right?

“Have fifteen days passed?”

“No… the full moon is tomorrow, Master. Including today, there are still two days left.”

So that’s why she’s asking.

“Fine, tell Cecile to return.”

“U-um, but Master…”

“What?”

“A-actually, Cecile didn’t return to the quarters last night. That’s why I brought it up…”

“She didn’t return? Are you saying Cecile spent the night in the laboratory?”

“…S-she probably couldn’t leave.”

Luna seemed to think Cecile was trapped in the laboratory.

‘I gave her the key. Why wouldn’t she be able to leave?’

“Call the butler.”

“Yes, Master!”

The butler entered immediately. He looked nervous, perhaps having heard the gist of it from Luna.

“One of the staff failed to return to her quarters, yet you neglected to report it. Why?”

“You told me not to inform you of trivial matters…”

“A person has gone missing inside the manor, and you call this a trivial matter?”

“My deepest apologies.”

“Is there a possibility that Cecile left the manor without permission?”

Before the butler could answer, Luna dropped to her knees.

“No, Master! Cecile would never do something so irresponsible! She’s one of the most diligent and meticulous girls here. That’s why she was entrusted with helping prepare Your Grace. Something must have happened to her in the laboratory!”

“I gave her the key. She couldn’t have been trapped inside.”

“N-No… that’s not what I mean, Master…”

Luna began trembling visibly. Terror flooded her eyes.

“C-Cecile wasn’t trapped… s-she was e-e-eaten by the laboratory!”

“What?”

At that moment, the chapter changed.

[Chapter 2: The Grand Duchess’s Secret Double Life]

[Level 3: Adrianne headed to the laboratory for the first time in a long while.]

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